Charu questions her exam mark and ends up with a better grade Anna Seaman ABU DHABI // Achieving 92 per cent in a chemistry exam would be enough to make most students more than happy. Not Charu Jangid. Unhappy with the mark, she asked for it to be re-graded. Her insistence paid off when the mark was upgraded, making her the highest achiever in the country in science. Charu, 17, from The Millennium School (TMS), a GEMS Education school in Dubai, was initially given the score of 92 per cent in the chemistry paper of her Central Board of Secondary Education scientific exams, when the results came out in May.
The exam board admitted to making a mistake in adding up and awarded her six additional marks, bringing Charu's percentage up to 96.6. It was the highest grade among the country's 3,574 grade-12 science students. Charu, who was notified of her new mark this weekend, said she was delighted. "I felt a bit surprised because most people who send their papers back get the same results," she said. "But I sent it was because I couldn't work out where I had made the mistakes.
"To have come top in the country is kind of great." Michael Guzder, the school principal, said every year a handful of pupils applied to have their marks regraded. Their results could go up or down. "Her first grade was excellent but Charu was very confident she had done better," said Mr Guzder. "She is an exceptional student who works very hard, and she is respected by all her teachers and fellow students.
"We are delighted for her and her family." It is the first time that a TMS student has topped the science stream. Charu, the school's head girl, studied for three hours a day and longer at weekends for around four months leading up to her examinations in March, as well as taking a month-long study break in February. Two years ago, she came top of the school's grade-10 examinations. She is to study applied sciences and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania from September and hopes to follow a career in computer science.
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